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Topic: Using the Soundfont (Read 4859 times) previous topic - next topic

Using the Soundfont

I recently loaded a set of organ soundfonts into my SB64. They are loaded in bank 40, but I am unsure how to access them.

I have both NWC and CakeWalk, and nothing seems to work. I've tried changing the setting in both programs to look at bank 40, but they don't look at the soundfonts.

Is there something I'm not doing correctly?

---Ryan McCauslin
pianomany2k@hotmail.com

Re: Using the Soundfont

Reply #1 –
Presumably you have configured Noteworthy to use your SB64 as the playback instrument?  (Tools > Options > Midi)

By default, Noteworthy accesses the General Midi soundfont in Bank 0. If you want to assign an instrument from another soundfont to a Noteworthy staff (or midi channel), you have to go into Staff > Staff Properties > Instrument (or Insert > Instrument Patch > Instrument) and tick the little box labelled Bank Select – Select a patch bank. Then you need to set Controller 0 = 40 (or whatever the number of the bank into which you have loaded your soundfont).

Now you will be able to access the instruments in your pipe organ soundfont.

But unless you have edited NTWPATCH. INI to include your new sounds, you won’t be able to find them very easily!

Assuming you have done this, then still in the Insert > Instrument Patch > Instrument window, scroll through Patch List Type to find your new soundfont, and scroll through Patch Name to select the stop or voice you require.

BTW – if you are using JEUX, you need to load it into Bank 42 to play John McCoy’s midi files.

Re: Using the Soundfont

Reply #2 –
A more basic question.  I'm writing a string quartet, and I've downloaded the SFPack for strings.  How do I load them into a "bank" in order to set the controls as Graham Harris described?

Re: Using the Soundfont

Reply #3 –
Firstly, you need to unpack your .sfpack file and get it into .sf2 format.  If you haven’t got the sfPack freeware utility (which is a bit like WinZip, but specially designed for compressing soundfonts), you need to download it.  (Use Google to find it – my link isn’t working).

Now that you have a Strings.sf2 file (or whatever you choose to call it), in order to load it into your SBLive soundcard, go into SBLive/AudioHQ/Soundfont.
Under the Configure Bank tab, where it says “Bank Configuration-Select Bank”, choose the bank number where you want to load your Strings.sf2.
Click on LOAD.
Browse in order to locate your Strings.sf2, and highlight it.
Click on SELECT.
Your Strings.sf2 soundfont is now loaded.

If it says you haven’t enough cache, select the Options tab, and move the slider to increase the cache to a value that will accommodate your new soundfont.

The above applies to a SBLive Value or 1024 Player card.  If you have a SBLive 5.1 card. or an Audigy the procedure is similar, but I think you also have to do something under Options/Soundfont Device and then load your soundfont into Synth A and Synth B separately.

BUT – are you sure the strings in your Strings sfPack aren’t simply meant to replace the bog-standard strings in your General Midi soundbank?  In which case you need to be doing stuff with Vienna SoundFont Studio… :-)

Re: Using the Soundfont

Reply #4 –
Thanks.  I'll work on this over the weekend and probably be back with more questions. (:-)
Peter

Re: Using the Soundfont

Reply #5 –
You can find a lot of info on the SB Live here:-
http://listen.to/sblive
In the left hand pane click on MIDI and Music.
Then Soundfonts - How to...
This might help with loading your soundfonts.

Re: Using the Soundfont

Reply #7 –
Message for Graham Harrison.
Graham, you have again been very helpful to someone having problems with Sound Fonts!  You got me out of trouble previously, but since then I have had a major PC problem and lost quite a few things. I now have the situation that whilst I can select Jeux  ro other Sound Fonts I have lost the appropriate NTWPATCH.ini file for NWC2 and have forgotten how to reproduce it . It works in NWC but not in NWC2

Re: Using the Soundfont

Reply #8 –
Tony: NTWPATCH.INI file sent to you by e-mail - assuming your address hasn't changed!
Other Forum contributors: I am still using version 1.75.  Is there any reason why this version's NTWPATCH.INI shouldn't work with version 2.0?

Re: Using the Soundfont

Reply #9 –
NWC2 does not use NTWPATCH.INI.

There is a conversion tool for transferring your custom NTWPATCH.INI lists to the new format. It is in the NWC2 tools area.